General Choi Hong Hi invented Tae Kwon-Do in Korea in the 1940s.
It is a combination of other disciplines, such as Taekkyon and Shotokan Karate. It is important to note that the Tae Kwon-Do formed by Choi Hong Hi (now represented in the ITF and TAGB) differs from the form seen at the Olympics (WT).
Tae Kwon-Do was named as such in 1955. It is a weaponless martial art, translating approximately to “the art of hand and foot fighting” or “the way of the hand and foot”. ‘Tae’ means to kick with the foot, ‘Kwon’ is to strike with the hand/fist, ‘Do’ is the art. Tae Kwon-Do has a controversial history, but even the South Korean government gives credit to General Choi for its name.
General Choi was one of the founding members of the South Korean Army, teaching martial arts to its soldiers in the 1940s. After inventing Tae Kwon-Do as a form of self defence, he founded the Korean Tae Kwon-Do Association in 1959, wrote a book on the art, and took Tae Kwon-Do abroad with a demonstration team from Vietnam to Taiwan, then Malaysia in 1962. General Choi also became the first Korean Ambassador for Malaysia.
Following a tour around the world in 1965, the International Tae Kwon-Do Federation (ITF) was formed. Since then, the ITF has been home to millions of members, countless belts, and prestigious competitions.
General Choi never rested in his pursuit of teaching Tae Kwon-Do to the world, with his books being translated into multiple languages. In fact, Tae Kwon-Do is the most documented martial art ever.
Various associations have been formed since then, including the Tae Kwon-Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB) in 1983. Our school is a member of the TAGB, which is the single biggest martial arts association in the world with over 80,000 members.
General Choi passed away in 2002, but his legacy lives on through Tae Kwon-Do and its many members.
If you would like to try Tae Kwon-Do, join us for a free taster session in Atherstone or Castle Bromwich.
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